


Tag.  I Love You.

by VividDayDreamer



Series: An AgentCorp Love (TILY) [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AgentCorp, Alex and Lena are a cute couple, Alex and Lucy used to hook up in the past, Angst, Banter, Competitive Alex, Competitive Lena, Danvers Siblings Include Winn, Danvers siblings are really kids at heart, Day At The Beach, Developing Relationship, Don’t copy to another site, Drowning, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Freeform, Friends are Family Too, Game of Tag, Lena Fears Large Bodies of Water, Love, Not Canon Compliant, Panic Attacks, Pranks, Sam is a Kryptonian, Surfing, Teasing, The entire crew knows Kara is Supergirl, They're practically living together, Ticklish Alex, Winn tries to be strong and supportive like his "sisters", but Reign no longer exists, but are now just best friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2019-12-26 03:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18274448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VividDayDreamer/pseuds/VividDayDreamer
Summary: A tag line that all started with a game of tag with friends and family, soon became more than a phrase for Alex and Lena.  It was their lifeline.A compilation of stories dedicated to the growing relationship between Alex Danvers and Lena Luthor.





	1. The Birth of a Tagline - Part I

**Author's Note:**

>   
>   
> Well, I've made it here into the Supergirl world. Late to arrive, but I'm 150% onboard with AgentCorp.
> 
> This is my first work here, dedicated to this two, so I'm hoping I get the character dynamics right (as for all the other folks in the story too.)
> 
> I wanna say that I never have imagined these two together, until I came across one or two fanfics on here that primarily shipped these them. Love at first sight, and very much hooked. Shout out to all the writers out there that opened my eyes to these two.
> 
> Anyhow, this bit's gonna have a few chapters. I'm gonna keep at it while I'm on a roll. Hope to update as I quickly as I can.
> 
> (Note: Rating may change over time. Tags definitely will. Mild language, possible sexual themes included.)
> 
> Enjoy!  
>   
> 

It was a nice, spring afternoon. The sun was shining. Its rays were pouring out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The smell of charcoal lingered in the air, seemingly to just hover tightly within a portion of the yard, since the breeze was nearly non-existent. There were birds chirping in the trees that scattered along the sides of the white picket fencing, whose paint was barely just starting to fade and crack. There were a few bushes speckled along the far end of the yard, flanking several rows of seedlings that were now just beginning to show sprouts of vegetation.

"Your place is wonderful, Sam," Lena said, relaxed as she sipped on a fruity cocktail.

"Thanks Lena. Having this backyard was definitely one of its best selling points."

"I believe it. It's such a nice escape from the city."

"Yes, for sure," Sam responded, nodding her head intently. She was very glad that she had such a peaceful place to go home to.

The women were conversing, leaned back slightly on the lawn chairs, which were settled in a corner of the patio. They bathed themselves in the serenity that nature provided, all encompassed by the yard they sat in. They were suddenly disturbed as they heard the ever usual bickering of two women as they exited the home.

"No! I don't want to watch another one of your sci-fi movies tonight! I need something less actiony for once in my life!" Kara shouted, as she paced after her sister.

Alex just kept walking away, not having any of it.

"No way, Kar. I'm sooo tired of your romcoms. Besides, I'm willing to bet that if we took a vote, most people here would love to watch some sci-fi," she answered, finally stopping to turn around.

"I, for one am totally down for a sci-fi vid."

" _Thank you_ ," Alex emphasized, as she raised her hand slightly for Winn to high-five her.

"Winn, I thought you were like my best friend," Kara whined.

"Oh I am. I just...you know. I like sciencey things," he shrugged, then grinned at her.

"See. My point exactly," Alex added.

"Ugh. J'onn, back me up!"

J'onn looked up from the grill, where he'd just placed a few burgers to cook.

"Neutral party. Not getting involved."

"Oh, bull J'onn. I know you don't want to sit through another one of Kara's 'I'm-in-love-with-you-forever-I'm-gonna-cry-my-eyes-out' flick," Alex commented.

They all watched the Martian as a smile slowly cracked across his face, though still not saying a word. His eyes remained tending to the burgers on the grill.

"Hah! See," Alex said, clapping her hands then pointed at him. "I'm right!"

"Nooooo!" Kara whined once more.

She then stomped over to the ladies who have just been watching this entire time, and now saw a slightly annoyed Kara headed straight for them, knowing exactly what she was coming over for.

"Guys...," Kara started.

"Are you two seriously debating this again? You guys go through this every single time we all hang out. Every. Single. Time. Aaand, don't you two have like, sister movie nights all the time? Haven't you guys figured out a system yet?" Sam rambled off, as if it was something they should've done long ago.

"I guess that would've made sense," Kara acknowledged.

"No, it wouldn't," Alex countered, then bent down to kiss Lena on the forehead. "Hey babe."

"Hey Al," she cooed.

"And why wouldn't it?" Sam inquired further. 

"Because, that one over there doesn't like rules," Alex explained, while pointing the head of her beer bottle at her sister. "She'd whine about not having to watch more of what she wanted, especially when she's not in a mood for what's been decided."

"I would not!"

"Would to!"

"Would not, Alex!"

"Would so, Ka-ra!" Alex taunted back, emphasizing the separation of syllables on her sister's name.

"Okay, okay children!" Sam shouted with her voice raised and eyes wide, as if she's had enough. "If I wanted more kids in my house today, I would've let Ruby stay, AND invited her friends over," she exaggerated. "Can't you guys just flip a coin or something?"

"Again, rules," Alex said matter-of-factly, as she took another sip of her beer.

Sam scoffed, "How in the hell do you guys ever decide then?"

"Like this!" the two sisters said simultaneously, freaking everyone out with the synchronized response. It even shocked the two Danverses.

"You two are ridiculous," Sam commented, as she threw her arms down.

"Aww, but you love us, Sam," Alex grinned foolishly, as she bent down and hugged her tightly.

"You two are so lucky that I do," she chuckled, as she held onto Alex's strong arms.

Kara shook her head but laughed. "Oh, I know! Tag!"

Alex's eyes grew wide. "Yesss!"

"Tag?" Lena questioned, then looked over to Sam who just shrugged her shoulders.

Before they could ask any more questions, the two sisters zipped away. Winn overheard them and ran into the home as well.

"Um...anyone know what that was about?" Sam asked the remaining crew.

J'onn just chuckled from the opposite end. "Sam, your home is insured, right? he teased.

"Yea....um...but now I'm concerned. Why?"

He just chuckled a little more before the three exited the home, carrying a variety of things.

"Hey Sam, hope you don't mind. I pulled out some stuff from your garage," Alex said, carrying out a few plastic lawn chairs, along with a few of Ruby's old toys.

"Um...if you tell me what's going on..." she answered, as she watched the three stooges make their way into the yard.

"Tag," the DEO agent responded, as if it was the most obvious answer.

"With a beach ball, a half inflated kiddie pool, and lawn chairs?" Lena questioned.

"You'll see," her girlfriend responded.

"I'm frightened, Lena," Sam said, eyes intently focused on them.

Lena just snickered. She knew full well that if it involved anything with those three, and was after hours, it was bound to be some sort of childish and ridiculous game.

The three started placing random objects across the grassy space, littering the once clean area with bits of plastic furniture. Some were upright, some were on its side, and some were upside down. Kara started placing the random kiddie pool and foam toys in and around them. Winn watched, pouncing up and down with anticipation as he held a few other things in his hand.

"I still can't believe you brought a mobile power dampener with you. Here, of all places," Kara commented.

"Ah well, you know me. I like carrying around my toys. Ya know, just in case," he responded, clipping the device to Kara's waistband.

"Plus, it totally makes this so much more fair now," Alex added with a tone of smugness.

"Don't give me that look. I can totally beat you even with my powers at half strength."

"Yea, you've um...you've been getting stronger based on the last round of stats I saw from your physical, Kar," Winn mentioned. "I'm um...I'm dropping your power outage to 30%."

"What?!"

Alex laughed. "Nice job, Winn," she praised, raising her hand once more, which he happily high-fived.

"You know, I gotta watch out for my other sis too," he said, elbowing Alex.

Alex just threw her arm across his shoulders and smirked at Kara.

"Why is no one on my side today!" she complained and everyone just laughed.

"Hey James, you got a stopwatch on you?" Winn shouted.

"Hey, yea. I got you bro," he answered, pulling out his phone.

"Two minutes. Start when we say so."

"Aiiiight."

"Here ya go, Alex," Winn said, handing her a metallic looking pistol.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Lena interrupted, slightly alarmed at the display of weaponry. "Whatever this is, I am not condoning gun play."

"Relax, Lee," Alex explained. "They're just water guns, see?" she said, as she shot at Kara's face, causing her to jump back from the unexpected attack.

"Alex! Come on, so not fair!"

Alex chuckled, as she got punched in the arm in return. "Oh man, so glad you have that dampener on you. That still smarts," she said, rubbing her arm.

"You're lucky," she glared.

"Alright, so, home base is....um...," Winn eyed their surroundings, searching for a good spot. "Okay, that tree over there," he pointed.

"Works for me."

"Me too."

"Hey! Don't you dare destroy that tree! It's been here for ages!" Sam shouted over.

"Don't worry! We'll be good!" Kara shouted back.

"I still don't like this," she grumbled to Lena.

"Let's hope it's not as destructive as J'onn mentioned."

"Somtimes, I really do feel like we're still watching over kids, even when I send Ruby away..."

The three start at home base, each with a hand on the tree.

"Okay James. Go!" Winn yelled.

James started the timer as Winn and Alex ran about the lawn to the far side, each standing at a corner, behind some large piece of toppled furniture. 

"Go Kar!" Alex yelled, and she quickly dashed after them.

For two minutes, the three of them ran around the yard, hurdling over random obstacles as they tried not to trip themselves up. They laughed and giggled as Kara tried to tag the other two. However, at 30% power, she found that she was quickly getting exhausted and was struggling to keep up. Alex and Winn laughed as they continued to shoot Kara up with their modified water guns, trying the best to escape her grasp. Eventually, Winn lost his footing and stumbled over. His feet got caught up in the half-inflated kiddie pool. Kara saw her chance and quickly pounced at Winn, throwing her weight on top of him and slapped his arm.

"Tag! You're it!," she expressed with joy, as she huffed and puffed.

"Ugh, Kara, you're so heavy."

"Hey!" she called out, rolling off her friend.

Meanwhile, Alex was curled up on the ground, laughing hysterically. It was mostly caused by the bumbling trip up that Winn displayed. It was quite animated, to be sure, especially when he somewhat squealed after Kara pounced on him.

"Breathe darling. Don't want you dying on me," Lena commented, as she sat amused the whole time.

"I...hahahaha, I...Winn...," she eventually got to her knees and hunched over, as she placed one hand to the ground for balance and her other on her stomach, continuing to ride the waves of laughter that poured out of her.

"Okay, okay," she finally started, gathering herself back up. "James, reset!" Alex called out, and he does so.

The trio take a moment to catch a breather and hydrate as the day grew warmer and warmer.

"So...how does this decide who chooses the movie?" Sam asked.

"We play as many rounds as there are participants. You get two minutes to tag someone in each round. At the end, whoever hasn't been tagged, or has gone the longest without being tagged, or is tagged the least, is the winner," Alex explained between her panting.

"Aaand the rules for this actually stick?"

"Yep, Kara can't fight if she's exhausted," Alex grinned. "Okay, you guys ready for round two?"

The two nodded their heads and headed for the tree. Once gathered, James got the signal and they started all over. Everyone laughed as they watched Winn try to nab either one of the sisters.

"Go Winn Go!" James cheered from the deck.

Winn tried and tried, but seemed to be having difficulties coordinating his movements around the well-placed obstacles, while trying to avoid getting shot in the face. Eventually, time runs out without a single tag, and they all huddle up together to give each other high-fives for effort. They continued laughing among themselves, as they took another break before starting their final round.

"Now who's 'it'?" Sam asked.

"Them two," Alex pointed.

"Oh, so the last round gets tough."

"Yea, Kara only says its fair."

"Hell yea, Miss I'm-so-fit!"

They all shared a chuckle as James reset the timer.

"All ready when you guys are."

With that, they set themselves up for round three. Alex loosened up, and at the signal, James started the clock and the DEO agent sprinted across the yard, close to where the other two women are sitting. Sam kicked her in the rear.

"Hey!"

"Step away, Danvers. I don't want to be part of the obstacle course," she chided.

Alex smirked, then hollered to the other two to start. And just like that, there's a mad dash across the entire backyard. Alex was clearly showing off her evading and shooting skills, as she navigated through the limited space, making sure to keep Winn and Kara at a good distance. She jumped over the tallest piece of furniture, eventually losing Winn as he stumbled over it. She shot at him to mock him, then smiled, while keeping an eye on her sister. The two women giggled and screamed as they continued the game. Kara slowly lost any ability to keep pace.

"Time!"

Kara dropped to the ground, her body making an 'X' as she basked in the sun. Winn hobbled over as Alex huffed to catch her breath, eventually meeting the two.

"Good times, team Danvers," Alex said, as she crouched down beside the two and put out her fist.

Winn always loved being considered part of the Danvers sibling crowd and happily slammed his fist at Alex's. On the ground, Kara half-heartedly met theirs with her own, while the other two laughed.

"Here, let's get that thing off of you," Alex said, rolling her sister over and unclipping the device from her waistband.

"Oh Rao, I feel so much better," she said, suddenly sitting up with the energy to save the world.

"Burgers are ready," J'onn shouted over. Kara was the first to speed away.

"Save some for us!!" Winn called to her, as he stumbled up with Alex's help, before he rushed over to the grill.

Alex smiled as she walked over to the two women, still lounging in their chairs. She grabbed her water bottle and took a few gulps.

"You two look way too relaxed."

"Says the overheated, sweaty agent," Lena retorted.

"Getting your blood moving is a good thing, Lee."

"Yes, well, I do enjoy sitting around and doing nothing sometimes."

Alex smirked, put her water bottle down, then shifted close to Lena, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Tag!" she exclaimed, before shooting a few sprays of her water gun at Lena and ran away. "I love you!" she called back to her.

Sam laughed whole-heartedly beside her, as she watched the shocked look on Lena's face slowly melt into a smile of love. 

"She'll pay for that."

"Oh I'm betting she will."


	2. The Birth of a Tagline - Part II

That very same evening, after everyone had showered, eaten and was ready to relax, Winn happily set up the the TV with the latest Transformers movie.

"I can't believe we're watching another sci-fi flick."

"Too bad," Alex taunted, as she ruffled Kara's hair then plopped down on the couch next to Sam.

Kara huffed and plopped down next to her sister.

"I hate you, but I love you," Kara said, as she snuggled up against Alex's arm.

Alex leaned her head over to Kara and smiled. "Love you too."

Everyone began to gather in the livingroom, as they carried in bowls of popcorn to be passed around and some handed out beers as they went.

"Ooohh, J'onn, hand me that one!" Alex pointed excitedly, as J'onn stood there holding up several bottles of unopened brew for everyone to choose from.

He walked over and let Alex pull the bottle of Leinenkugel Summer Shandy. 

"That's the last one," J'onn commented.

"Thank God I got it. I love this stuff. Came out early this season," she said, then popped the top and took a good gulp.

James then settles in an armchair, with J'onn taking the other vacant seat next to the couch. Winn sat on the floor and leaned back against the bottom of the couch, next to Alex's legs. By the time Lena arrived, the crew had pretty much settled in. She strode over to where her girlfriend was, who was somewhat the center of a body pile.

"Hey Lee, um...lemme get you a spot."

As Alex shifted, Lena eyed her surrounding friends and they grinned. All of a sudden, Winn clamped down on Alex's legs, while Kara and Sam each grabbed a hold of Alex's arms.

"What the hell?" Alex exclaimed, surprised by the sudden attack.

Lena leaned over, took Alex's beer, then helped herself to several hefty gulps.

"Leee! That's the last one!"

"I know babe," she smirked, paused, then continued to take another few gulps, leaving just barely a fourth of the bottle.

Lena placed the bottle down onto the side table, then bent over to peck Alex on the lips with a kiss.

"Tag. I love you," she said softly, before a mischievous grin formed.

"Love you back," she responded, cracking a smile as she picked up on those specific words she had said earlier that afternoon. "Guess I deserved that," she helplessly tried to shrug under the strength of two Kryptonians on her arms.

"We're ready, Lena," Kara said, holding on tighter to Alex's arm.

"What? Ready for what?" Alex said, a bit worried that there's more to Lena's plotting than just stealing her beer.

Lena gave her another grin, then started tickling Alex's sides.

"Noooo!" she gritted her teeth and tightened up, laughing as it continued. "Not fair! Not fair!" she screamed as she tried to squirm around.

After about a minute or so, Alex surrendered.

"Okay, okay," she conceded, panting as tears streamed down her face. "You win, you win," she said, as she gasped for air.

Lena nodded to the crew and they all released their hold. Sam shifted over so that Lena was able to squeeze herself between her two friends. She half sat on Alex's lap and pulled the agent's head to her chest.

"You got me good, babe," Alex said, finally recovering.

"Don't ever cross a Luthor," she teased.


	3. Just a Game - Part I

The tagline was nothing more than a few words, created at the spur of the moment and was a nice blend of a child-like, but manicured attack, doused in affection. Very Alex. Truth be told, she hadn't even remembered those words until Lena struck back with them, and she loved every bit of it.

Between the memory that it came from and Alex's competitive nature, a game was born.

 

####  Game 1: Alex

**A few days after that backyard get-together at the DEO...**

Winn was staring at his computer, busy, but clearly bored. Alex could tell by the way his posture was in his chair, how he swirled that toy gun of his in his left hand, while his right just kept moving about on the touchpad, switching from screen to screen, scrolling through endless lines of code. It was the perfect time to approach him.

"Hey Winn, I need your help with something," she said, standing by him, arms crossed.

Not looking up, he just continued doing what he was doing, but did respond.

"If it's about that attack by the Hellgrammite, no. I still have no idea how he got to this planet," he said with a sigh and a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"No, it's about something else."

He rolled his eyes. Not at her, but she still saw it.

"The algorithm...of course. You can tell Papa Bear that it's not ready yet," he said with sarcasm in his voice.

"No, Winn..."

He tossed his head back and slumped further in his chair.

"Look. I'm behind, okay. If it's about the auditory sensor array, then no. I haven't even begun to test the prototype," he said with a bit of frustration.

At that point, Alex took hold of the back of his chair and spun him around.

"Boy Danvers, I am _not_ interested in your progress on any related DEO projects," she said, giving him that look that effectively says 'Listen to me!'

"Uh, oookay. You've got my attention," he said with a sense of hesitation and confusion.

"I need your help. Got a minute?"

Still confused and slightly worried, he nodded. They walk to a nearby, empty conference room. Alex shuts the door behind them.

"I'm...I'm not in trouble am I?"

"You know, one of these days I'm going to have to whip you into shape. You need to grow a spine if you ever wanna be able to complete with Kara and me," she teased.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I totally can stand up for myself!"

Seeing a challenge, Alex slowly walked over, sauntering like a predator, cornering its prey. Winn's seen that look a hundred times. Hell, most of the DEO agents have too. When Agent Alex Danvers comes at you like that, with the look of "kill" in her eyes, you run. You just run.

In Winn's case, he backed away, until he ran straight into the wall.

"Okay, okay!" he said, waving his hands in surrender. "I can't compete with you!"

A smile cracks on Alex's face before she completely relaxes her stance and ruffles his hair.

"You wanna be a Danvers, you gotta be tougher than that, kid," she winked. "We'll work on that. That way, one day, Vasquez and Demos can be _your_ minions," she teased.

"That...would be amazing," he laughed. "So, what'd you wanna talk to me about?"

"You remember how you helped Lena get back at me at Sam's?"

"Oh, dude, about that...I'm sorry by the way. Lena...she...she's terrifying. Like you. Shit, you're both terrifying when you wanna be. I..."

Alex raised up her hand and stopped him right there.

"Not looking for excuses. I'm offering a truce. For you."

"Okayyy..."

"I need your help to get back at her."

Immediately, Winn lit up with a large grin plastered to his face.

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

 

**One week later, at Alex's apartment...**

"Hey babe, you still on for lunch this afternoon?" Alex asked out loud, while she sat on the barstool, sipping on her coffee, while scrolling through her phone.

Coming out of the bathroom, Lena answered.

"Planning on it. Provided that the meeting with the investors go well."

Alex looked up from her phone.

"Go well? You mean if it doesn't then you're not gonna eat?" she asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

Lena continued to walk towards her, then moved into the kitchen to pour herself some coffee.

"Not necessarily. I'm more referring to the fact that if any issues come up, the meeting will run longer than I intended. And if that happens, then my lunch window narrows before I have my next meeting," she answered, as if it had been a memorized response, reflecting a common hiccup that happens more often than not.

"You still need to eat, Lena," she said, more insistent than commanding.

"Don't worry, Alex," she responded, walking over and draping her arms across the redhead's shoulders. "Jess knows when to bring me food if I ever miss lunch."

She then kisses Alex softly. Alex places her hands on Lena's waist and pulls her in to deepen the kiss. Lena pulls away and turns to her ear.

"Though I'd more enjoy your company," she said, breathing hotly into her ear.

It sent a chill down Alex's spine and she starts kissing passionately along Lena's neck, smelling her perfume at the same time. Alex was turned on and Lena could tell by the playful aggression along her neck. Alex's lips trailed back up to Lena's mouth, kissing hungrier than before. Before getting too caught up, Lena pushed Alex away, hoping that her makeup hadn't fully been ruined before even starting the day.

"Down girl," Lena teased. "It's too early for any of that," she continued, before heading back to finish her coffee.

"You know it's your fault though."

"Oh, I know," she responded with a satisfied grin on her face.

"You're terrible," Alex chuckled before finishing her brew.

"And you love me for it."

"I do. God help me. I do."

The two eventually part ways. Lena's driver takes her back to L-Corp, while Alex zips away on her motorcycle; the agent grinning under her helmet.

 

**Ten minutes after her arrival at the office...**

"Ms. Luthor, your meeting with Mr. Michaels was cancelled. He said that the had an urgent meeting to attend to."

"Thank you, Jess. When's the next one?"

"At 10:30 ma'am, with Chris and the team from R&D."

"Good, thank you."

Lena pulls away from the intercom and opens her bag to take out her laptop. She plugs it in and flips open the screen. Once she logs on, the screen flashes, then turns red. The whole screen is red. She panics at first, thinking that she'd been hacked, but then worries that if it was just a malfunction. If so, she worried about losing the data on it. She clicks at her touchpad, which doesn't do anything. She taps on the keyboard, no response. She was about to pull the plug and restart the damn thing when it flashes again. The screen turns white. Lena stares at it, then sees an animation appear. Two people, drawn in a retro, 16-bit way, were running around on her screen, until one practically tackled the other. Then, the animation disappears and the word, "Tag" appears at the top center of the screen, then, right below it, a second set of words fade in. "I Love You." At this point Lena relaxes completely. No hackers. No corrupted system. Alex. Just Alex. She shakes her head and smiles, then clicks around with her mouse. Immediately, with every click, a sound bit is heard from her laptop's speakers, "Alex." Every click, "Alex." Every key tapped, "Alex." At this point, Lena is practically laughing out loud.

She pulls out her phone and dials that damn joker.

 

**A half hour prior, at the DEO...**

"Hey, hey! Alex, did ya do it?"

Alex walks over to Winn, grinning like a fool. "As instructed."

"Oh my god, this is gonna be epic."

"She's gonna flip, but she'll love it. Thanks for your help. Here."

Alex hands him a small, white, carton box, with an image of a large cookie on it. Winn's jaw practically drops. The simplistic design is a well-known one in National City. A bakery...no, it's really just a cookie shop, notorious for its freshly baked cookies, of many, many varieties and combinations. The order, always given hot upon receipt. You can smell it from a distance.

"Really?!!"

"My way of saying thanks," she says, handing it over to him.

Thrilled, he grabs the box and pulls out a Macadamia nut, white chocolate chip cookie, moaning with pleasure as he takes a large chewy bite out of it.

"You're totally the best sister ever."

Alex just grins and punches him in the arm. She then pulls out her phone, expecting Lena to call her any minute.

"So, how long before the whole thing activates?" she asks.

Through a stuffed mouth, he mumbles, "Jurst as shoon as she lurgs into the netwurk."

Alex irks a brow and nods her head slowly. At least she sort of understood what he said. Winn swallows the food and grins.

"Imma go grab some milk to go with this. Lemme know how it goes, and if you need like, backup or help or whatever."

Alex chuckled, "You got it."

Alex headed to the locker room to change into her uniform. Once she was dressed, she made her way back up to the command center, but stopped suddenly when she heard her phone buzz. Lena. She laughed, then headed for the closest, vacant conference room.

_"Hey babe," she answers._

_"Very clever, Alex."_

_Alex chuckled, "You know I wasn't going to let you have the last laugh, right?"_

_"As I recall, it was you laughing the entire time."_

_"And I'm laughing now," she says, grinning._

_From her voice, Lena could practically see that smug look and that grin._

_"Tell me I can get my computer back to normal," Lena responded, with a light and amused tone in her voice. "Some of us actually have work to do."_

_Alex chuckled again. "You'll be fine. I have the code phrase that you need to enter. Once that happens, the computer resumes functionality and the program deletes itself. You'd never know it even existed."_

_"Did Winn help you?"_

_"What? You don't think I can do this myself?"_

_"Frankly, no," she joked._

_Alex laughed. "That hurt."_

_"Spare me."_

 

They laugh for a few more seconds before Lena piped up again.

 

_"Okay, what's the code phrase?"_

_"Hit 'Enter' ten times in a row, then a pop-up box will appear."_

_"Okay, done."_

_"Type these letters out. All caps. A-L-E-X space I-S space G-O-D."_

_Lena burst out laughing. "Wow, Alex. Bold statement," she said, clearly amused._

_"It's the truth though," she chuckled back._

_"Oh is it now?"_

_"Your computer is back to normal, isn't it?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You're welcome."_


	4. Just a Game - Part II

The tagline started to ingrain itself as part of their relationship. Such simple, playful words. Who could've thought it'd be anything more than just a one-time thing.

Lena, bested by Alex twice with its usage, was not about lose. No, Lena Kieran Luthor was not about to back down from a challenge. She'd face it head on, and win. She'd even take it up a notch.

 

####  Game 2: Lena

**A few days after that computer prank, at Lena's apartment...**

Alex and Lena were having dinner at Lena's penthouse. Chinese take-out again. It was too long of a day to do anything else. Lena had never frequented Chinese take-out since Alex. Even with Kara, she'd rarely participate in engorging herself with the greasy, soy sauce laden foods. However, as she and Alex spent more and more time together, Lena came to see how much of a staple it was in both of the Danvers sisters' diet. It was therefore ironic that Lena's love of potstickers came from Alex's influence and not her sister's. This usually meant that even without Kara's presence, the DEO agent still had to worry about Lena stealing them from her. At least, with her girlfriend, Alex thought it cute and endearing. She also knew that Lena couldn't eat the whole order without her at least having a good portion of it. Except for perhaps a time or two, but, I digress.

The two had been talking about the typical things: work, updates about work, the news, Kara, the usual. The conversation flowed easily like it always did. Like it always had. Alex had been a bit anxious these past few nights though. It had been several days since the prank on Lena, and she hasn't retaliated yet, which Alex thought was odd. She knew of Lena's competitiveness, and it matched that of her own, so it was unlike her to just let the incident slide. She knew something was coming, but not when, or what. That, kept her on edge. But, she'd never give Lena the satisfaction of knowing that she'd been pretty worked up about it ever since that day. Instead, Alex kept covertly scrutinizing everything the woman did or said, and watched her movements like a hawk. Unfortunately, she always came up empty.

Lena, was biding her time. She knew that letting Alex stew would eat at her. That torture added a nice touch to the whole thing. She knew that Alex would anticipate retaliation. It was just expected. And she was right. Lena already knew what she was going to do to get back at her. She came up with the idea that very same day of the prank. Alex messed with her at work, so she'd do the same. She'd even do it better. Lena kept her calm. She, of course realized that Alex was indeed anxious, despite the agent's best attempts to hide it. The agent never really gave anything away per se. She was pretty good at keeping a game face on, no doubt coming from years of training, yet Lena could still tell when something was up. To her credit, Alex was able to do the same with Lena, despite her walls. It was something that just clicked with them as they started to get to know each other better. Their skill to do so, had only sharpened when they started dating. Since the prank, Lena could definitely sense the apprehension with Alex, and of course, it wasn't her body language that gave it a way. It was...just something in the air about her that Lena picked up on. Lena knew exactly why and relished the thought.

The rest of the night went uneventful. They went about their normal evening routine as usual: clean up dinner, watch some TV and cuddle, get ready for bed, go to bed and cuddle some more. Make-out sessions peppered throughout the evening of course, sometimes leading to more than that, but, not tonight. They were just too exhausted. A tragedy really.

The next morning, Lena woke first, as always, and started getting ready for the day. She's usually up earlier than Alex, typically by at least an hour or so. Today, she'd make use of that time, finally putting her plan into action.

As their relationship went on, more often than not, Lena's place was the place they slept at. Sometimes, it was because of Lena's later hours and having to shorten her commute, or, it was because of Alex's insistence. The furniture at Lena's was so much more comfortable for lounging, sleeping and well...for other activities. These days, they only stayed over at Alex's when the agent had to work late (which was rare since Lena tended to have the longer set hours between them both), or because Lena wanted to stay somewhere that felt more "real," somewhere that was different from her high-end, over-the-top surroundings. She wanted to be somewhere that just felt...different. Alex's place was different, inviting, and cozy. She actually liked that place better than her own.

So, with the frequency of Alex's stay-overs, the agent started to bring over more and more of her stuff. Which wasn't a lot really. It generally comprised of basics like clothing, a handful of electronics, and some back-up weapons. Alex wasn't picky. She'd just keep all her stuff piled in a corner of Lena's bedroom, of which Lena had kept trying to remember to find some way to give Alex's stuff a home, but just hadn't gotten around to. In that corner, she immediately found Alex's duffel bag. It was the one thing that the agent traveled with constantly. That, was Lena's target. Alex tended to be a creature of habit (as was Lena really), so she knew that Alex always prepared her bag the night before, just in case she had to run out ahead of time. Today, she used that to her advantage, knowing that Alex wouldn't check it until it was too late.

After that, the morning went on as usual. Lena was already done getting dressed, and was in the kitchen having a cup of coffee and some fruit. Alex had gotten up shortly thereafter. The redhead's morning routine took much less time than Lena's, considering she just threw on whatever she wanted and didn't really have to fuss much to go to work. She was a field agent after all. No need to be fancy.

When the time came, they parted ways just as they had always done.

 

**A few minutes after arriving at L-Corp...**

"Jess, I need something delivered immediately to this address. Have it addressed to Lucy Lane. Send for one of our express couriers," Lena said, handing her assistant a rectangular box with a note attached to it.

"Yes ma'am."

Lena smirked and looked at her watch. Game on.

 

**Ten minutes after that, Alex finally arrives at the DEO...**

"Agent Danvers. A word," J'onn called out to her from the hallway.

Alex nodded and walked towards his office.

"Hey, what's up?"

"The new recruits came in today. I believe this'll be a good opportunity for you to prove your authority, as you bring them into your command."

"Can't wait," she responded with a smile. 

Alex had been anxiously waiting for the opportunity to finally onboard a round of soldiers on her own. J'onn had been prepping Alex to take over the DEO one day. It was a conversation they'd had time and time again. Alex was his second-in-command, and though many in the DEO knew it and respected it, it was another thing to onboard a fresh batch of recruits herself and leave a lasting impression on them as they continued their career there under her guidance.

"Do you have an agenda planned?"

"Yup. Always did. Prepared it a while back."

"Good. I trust your judgement. Go. Get dressed, then meet with them first thing this morning."

"Yes, sir!"

Alex was thrilled. She was good at her job and loved it. Rising up into the ranks and earning a place at the top, definitely stroked her ego. That, and the fact that Winn had created an awesome battle outfit for her, with weapons to match, made her feel even more like a badass boss. Except...now, her gear was missing.

Alex was in the locker room, baffled. She'd dumped out her duffel bag, and was surprised to find that her whole getup was MIA. In its place, was a small box. Curious, she opened it, gushing as she viewed its contents. In it, a lacy black set was presented. Bra and panties to match. Lena's. Alex vividly remembered the first time Lena wore them for her, and it sent a wave of feelings through her as she remembered what happened shortly thereafter. Shaking her head from the thoughts, she looked closer. In it, was a note that simply read, "Tag. I Love You." Alex threw her head back and laughed, then shook her head again. She was amused and slightly turned on. But then, she panicked. She knew she had to address her recruits shortly, and she didn't have a uniform to put on. She couldn't very well show up in what she was wearing at the moment (jeans and a tshirt), and the only thing she had in her locker was her workout clothes.

"Damnit, of all the days she had to pick to do this," Alex thought.

"Heya Danvers, whatcha got there?" said a smaller woman who poked her from behind, sneaking a glance around her.

Alex jumped, unaware that Lucy had been standing there. The woman grinned, knowing what she saw.

"I _know_ for a fact that those aren't yours. You're not that type of girl," she said with a wink, then elbowed her friend in the arm. "So, that only leaves one other person it could belong to," she continued teasing as she wore a smug grin. "Damn Danvers. I know you love that woman of yours, but...bringing in her unmentionables to work? That's next level, girl," she taunted.

"It's not what you think, Luce."

"Uh huh. Sure. I've seen you get all dreamy-eyed thinking about her. Even the mention of her name sometimes makes you all...THAT, THAT RIGHT THERE!" she said, pointing at Alex's face, which started to redden and give off a goofy look.

Alex quickly turned around, biting her lips into a line, to try to hold back from grinning. Alex was a mess for Lena. She always tried to hide it, but Lucy was right, she turned into a complete dork thinking about her. It wasn't her fault entirely. The agent was smitten. Their relationship had just gotten off the ground, at being only a bit over three weeks. Lena was beautiful, rich, smart, and popular. She was a woman who Alex thought would've been very much out of her league. To have the woman love her back, it felt like a miracle, and she treated it as such.

"You sicken me," Lucy continued to tease. "Where's my badass best friend, hm? Who replaced her with this sad, soft, mushy, girlie girl?" the woman continued, poking at Alex.

"Take that back, Lane," she ordered, half trying to salvage her reputation.

"Make me, Danvers."

Alex stuffed the lingerie box into her locker and turned around, throwing on her serious, DEO, "I'm in charge here", attitude.

Lucy grinned. "Close. I almost buy it," she chuckled. "Alright, put on your gear and keep that look, maybe I'll believe it's really you under there."

Alex didn't move. She didn't really know what to do about her missing uniform.

"Well? You can't represent Agent Danvers, badass DEO agent, second-in-command, looking like that. You got recruits waiting out there, soldier! Get!"

Alex relaxed her stance and rubbed the back of her neck, breaking her facade. Lucy stifled a giggle at the sudden change in demeanor.

"Okay, Luce. I uh...I actually need some help. You see..."

"You left your getup at Luthor's."

"Not really. Maybe? Actually, I have no idea where it is. It was there last night..."

"Of course it was. Well, you're lucky. I have it right here, you dork," she said, lifting up the box to her.

Alex took the box and opened it, relieved to have her entire uniform in it.

"How'd you..."

"Luthor sent it over to me. Said that you were fucked mindless last night and forgot to pack your bag. She said found it in her office this morning and had it delivered," Lucy said smirking.

"She _did not_ say that."

"Perhaps not those words exactly, but pretty damn close," she continued. "You animal...," she said playfully, nudging at her shoulder.

At this point, Lucy was wearing the most smug and amused look she'd ever worn in a while. She loved taunting Alex, especially when it came to any of her relationships. It was a thing they had between them. They were best friends, but they did actually hook-up a time or two, once upon a time. They were spur of the moment encounters, that could be best described as, "friends with benefits." It never really went anywhere, once they felt it for what it was, and eventually it all just stopped. No harm, no foul. Still best friends, except now, they felt like they had exclusive rights to tease or talk about _any_ bit regarding the other's sexual partners. 

Alex, at this point, had turned insanely red in the face, not knowing what to say to Lucy's response. She didn't really want to admit that she and Lena didn't have sex last night. It would call out her girlfriend as a liar, which she didn't want to do, despite the fact that Alex wanted to get back at her for this stunt. Besides, she knew that Lucy wasn't going to buy whatever counter retort or excuse her best friend would say. Instead, she just relented, owning up to Lena's reasoning as the truth. She knew that the reasoning wasn't too far from the truth some days anyway. She couldn't help but bite down to prevent herself from looking like a helpless, lovestruck puppy, and shook her head slightly. The things she did to protect Lena...

Alex just shrugged at Lucy, trying to quickly change the subject.

"Guess I should get dressed now. The recruits need me."

Lucy scoffed, but still was smiling at her. 

"Better make sure you got your head on straight before you head out there. You got an organization to represent. Oh, and check to make sure those red tinges in your face disappear. You look like a goddamn tomato."

"You're a pain in my ass sometimes, you know that?"

"And you love me anyway," she teased.

Lucy grinned, playfully tapped Alex's cheeks a few times with her hand, then left. Shaking her head, Alex pulled out her phone and texted Lena.

  


_Me: Damn Lena. Your timing was impeccable...and you got Lucy involved? I'm never gonna hear the end of it now. You're ruthless._

_Lee: Glad you finally realized. Remember that the next time you try to screw with me. 😉 Your move, love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for reading so far. 
> 
> There's definitely more to come, but this week is gonna be pretty crazy for me, so I can't guarantee there'll be daily updates like it had been. I hope to still post a few chapters though.


	5. Routine

Ever since that spring day, "Tag. I love you," had become an on-going thing between Alex and Lena. It made for a fun cat and mouse game at first, but after the games had stopped (after a mutual truce), the endearing tagline was missed. They eventually brought it back, with it becoming something they'd use before leaving each other's arms for a decent period of time. They even added a little, "Love you back," to bring the words of adoration to full circle.

In the mornings, whether it's Alex's or Lena's apartment, they got themselves ready, moving about each other in rhythm as they've grown accustomed to one another. One of them would start the coffee machine and set up a quick breakfast, picking either a fruit parfait, oatmeal, toast with jam, bagel and cream cheese, or a fruit cup. They'd eat their meal together, then on their way out, before they parted their separate ways, they'd make it a game. A game between them to see who would say it first.

Today, Alex opens up the rear passenger door of Lena's town car, playfully bowing in gesture of her approaching.

"Milady," she says, playing in character.

"You dork," Lena giggles.

Alex raises up her head and moves forward, wrapping her hands around Lena's waist, as she's done so, time and time again. Lena drapes her arms around the redhead's shoulders and pulls her in for a kiss. Their lips are soft and gentle, passionate, and full of love. A playful bite on the lower lip taunts the other as they do the same. They get lost in each other for seconds and minutes, before Lena finally pulls away. There's a glimmer of love in her eyes, similarly reflected in the big brown orbs of Alex's. She smiles, caresses her cheek, then pecks her lightly on the lips.

"Tag. I love you," Lena breathes over their lips, then makes her way inside the car.

Alex shuts the door and gazes quietly at Lena. The CEO then slides down her window to blow her a kiss goodbye.

"Love you back," the agent says, smiling and blowing a kiss back before the car heads out into the distance.

  


* * *

  


In the evening, they text each other to find out where they're spending the night. Tonight, Lena says that it'll be her place again, since she has at least another hour's worth of work to get through before she can leave for the day; her apartment is just much closer.

It's nearly 9pm when Lena arrives home. She registers herself on her biometric scans and lets herself in. Before she passes over the threshold fully, the smell of Chinese food overwhelms her. She chuckles when she sees Alex, sitting on her couch, fixated on whatever action flick is on TV. Hearing keys drop on the counter, Alex pauses the show, and rushes over to give her a welcoming hug and kiss.

"Missed you," she says.

"Missed you too."

They kiss as if they haven't seen each other in days, wrapping each other up with tight holds across their partner's body. The warmth envelopes each other in a cloud of relief, comfort, and safety. Their lips dance about, caressing tongues that touch the corners of their mouths, then traces lines across the other's lips, ever showing the need and affection they crave from one another. They finally loosen and separate, foreheads touching as they breathe for air.

"I'll never get tired of that," Lena comments.

"Me either," the redhead responds.

"Even if you taste like chicken lo mein," the darker haired woman teases.

Alex laughs. "Don't knock it. Chicken lo mein is good for my soul."

"Not good for the gut, love," she taunts, poking at Alex's belly.

"Oh come on. I haven't been in the field for a month cause I have to cover for J'onn. It's not my fault."

Lena smiles flirtatiously, then slides her hand up Alex's shirt, feeling the ever present muscles of her stomach, which were still very muscular, and only slightly less taut than it used to be.

"I'm just teasing love, you're just as sexy as ever."

Alex places her hands on Lena's cheeks and pulls her in for another long and passionate kiss.

"You're way sexier," she grins.

Lena takes the compliment. She takes every compliment from Alex and cherishes them all. It was never tiring to hear how wanted, how beautiful, and how loved she was. It's moments like these that she lives for these days. She's now willing to share her entire life, making space in it so she doesn't just fill them with scientific goals and business aspirations, but with Alex now too. Her Alex.

They share another hour or so having dinner. Alex with her chicken lo mein and her own order of potstickers, which she happily eats without the worry of Kara stealing them, and Lena with her steamed vegetable dish, doused in garlic sauce, with side of her own order of potstickers. Alex always insists they each get their own, knowing full well that if they didn't, she'd be the one getting the shorter end of the stick. Again. They spend the remainder of the evening laughing, teasing, drinking, eating and chatting about their day. They enjoy each other's company as they wind down for the night, paying no attention to the sound of explosions and gunfire coming from the TV in the background.

After dinner, they fall back into a routine, cleaning up, putting away the trash, leftovers, dishes and wine. They get ready for bed. Lena's washing her face and brushing her teeth, while Alex sorts through a borrowed drawer that Lena had graciously given up, in order to store some of her things. They then swap places as Alex washes up and brushes her teeth, while Lena goes through the same borrowed drawer to pull out something of Alex's to wear to bed. She enjoys stealing her girlfriend's clothes, that are somehow more comfortable than her own, loving how its scent is of Alex. Alex finds it adorable and doesn't care in the least. After a moment, Alex strolls out, all freshened up, wearing a faded, loose, Midvale tank top and FBI labeled shorts, then giggles to see Lena sporting her fitted, black FBI tshirt and a pair of light gray Midvale sweatpants. Lena chuckles at their mismatched, yet matched pairings.

"Looks way better on you than me," Alex says to her, before planting a small kiss on her lips.

"Doubtful," she responds, kissing Alex back.

Alex murmurs a response, incoherent to her partner, so Lena pulls away.

"I said that I'll probably need to have another drawer if you keep taking my clothes though. Girl's gotta replenish her stash somehow."

Lena smiles and glances over at the area. "I'm sure that won't be a problem. I'd actually like that."

They share another intimate moment, after which they pull away from each other, feeling satisfied. As the food settles in their bellies and the night passes, they begin to feel the heaviness of their eyelids. They decide to retire onto the bed, anxious to lay in the comfort of a luxurious mattress with silk sheets and stuffed pillows. They lay down on their respective sides, shifting under the blankets, shuddering momentarily at the touch of coolness from the bed's surface on their skin. They slowly shift closer and closer together until they're back in one of their usual positions. Tonight, it's Alex, the big spoon, wrapping herself around Lena, her little spoon. The redhead nuzzles her face into Lena's hair, intoxicated by the mixed scents of shampoo, conditioner and haircare products; a familiar and soothing smell that cries out, "Lena". She nuzzles closer, reaching the bare skin at the side of the woman's neck, kissing her ever so gently as Lena coos at the brevity and sweetness of Alex's lips on her. After a moment, they settle quietly into each other, with Alex giving her one last, lengthier kiss at the top of her neck, near the base of her ear.

"Tag. I love you," she whispers.

"Love you back."


	6. A Solidified Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Sorry for the wait. Things have been insane. That said, this one's gonna be a bit angsty (been in that mood these days), but, it ends happily.
> 
>    
>  **WARNING: Two words. Panic and drowning. Just FYI.**  
>   
>   
> 

The use of the tagline becomes more and more a part of their lives, carrying so much in those few simple words. It's not just a way to show affection. It's a type of playfulness to say, "Come and get me, if you can." It's a way to say, "Goodbye, I'll see you later." And, in fact, the words start to sound more and more like a promise. A promise that tells the other, "You'll see me again, I swear." 

  


* * *

  


It's summer, and the crew heads to one of the more private beaches, thanks to Lena's connections. They set up camp further up the shore to prevent getting caught by the rising of the tide. Winn, James and J'onn start anchoring down a few large beach umbrellas, Lena and Kara sets up the blankets and chairs, while Alex and Sam head to the water activities rental booth, to pick up some gear.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this," Sam said, giddy with excitement.

"You've surfed before, right?" Alex asks.

"I have, but that was waaay before I had Ruby."

"In that case, you'll be fine. It's like riding a bike. It'll all come back to you. You'll have a blast out there. Plus, the waves look good today."

They pick up their gear and get suited up. Carrying their boards, they walk back towards the gang.

"Oooohh, lookin' good ladies!" Winn hollers, earning him a light smack on the head from Alex. They both just smirk at each other. Siblings.

"Hey James, aren't you coming?" Sam calls out.

"Yea, I'll be there once we're settled in."

"You go ahead James. I got this last one," J'onn says, then nods to him in approval.

"You sure?"

"You doubt me?" he asks, irking his eyebrow in jest. 

James just chuckles and leaves him to it, then runs up to the rental station.

"We'll meet you in the water, Jimmy!" Alex calls out, and he waves his hand above his head to acknowledge her.

Lena walks up to Alex and puts her arms around her neck, kissing her softly. Her hands wonder down the front of her watersuit, gliding down her clavicle, down her sternum, and across the abs that Alex got around to toning back up to her standards.

"I can get used to you in this too," Lena says, smiling into Alex's lips.

Alex chuckles. "You get used to me in anything I'm wearing it seems."

Lena pulls Alex's ear towards her lips and whispers, "Or nothing."

The agent's face heats up, and her cheeks start to blush slightly, but she couldn't help the smile that forms on her face.

"Okay, you lovebirds, break it up before we lose our chance out there," Sam teases.

The two give her a playful glare.

"Be careful out there," Lena says with worry.

"I'll be fine, but I will anyway."

Lena pecks a kiss on her lips. "Tag. I love you."

"Love you back," Alex responds.

  


* * *

  


An hour or so goes by, and the shore-bound crew continue drinking, laughing, joking and relaxing. Kara starts to build something that she claims is a grand building; a fixture from Krypton, even though Winn teases her and says that it looks like a large, malformed scorpion with its tail twisted up in the air. Kara just scrunches up her face, grumbles at him and tosses a stone at his sandy artwork.

"Kara! You just demolished my army with your nuclear pebble missile!"

They both laugh, as do the others. Children.

Lena eyes her warrior in the distance, braving the waves that threaten to thrash about any rider not experienced enough to tame them. Though, in truth, the waves weren't that rough that day and it was just Lena's fear of water, that amplified her perception of the danger with those water-bound beasts. 

They're too far away to hear, but she can see the trio, perched on their boards, talking to each other as they wait for the right wave to come by. Eventually, they all take turns, claiming their wave as they attempt to master their footing and enjoy the thrill. There were rounds where they found themselves tumbling off the boards, tossed off them, into the mouth of sea. Then, there were other times that the surfers successfully rode them out until the end, claiming victory over their opponent.

Winn and J'onn returns with stacks of hot dogs and fries for the gang. Kara strolls in behind them with two large waffle cones, filled with two scoops of ice cream each, topped with sprinkles, lines of chocolate syrup and cherries on top. She hands one to Lena who grins unbearably.

"Kara, this is way too much for my waistline," she chuckles, happily accepting the cone.

"You worry too much about your figure, Lena. You're hot. Admit it. Alex even thinks so," she says nonchalantly, then shudders at the thought of having said it out loud. The thought of her sister thinking that...

"Says the woman who barely consumes enough calories to make it through the day."

"Ha, yea. Well, I guess there is that."

The two joke around as they savor the cool, sweet flavors. They relax and listen to the sound of the waves crashing, and the squawking gulls that pass by, as the sun shines mercilessly onto the beach goers below. The meek coverings of SPF coated umbrellas, sun shades, glasses and sunscreen combined, could only hope to provide enough protection, so that people of a lighter complexion don't suffer from the intensity of the rays. Lena was definitely one of these people, and was happy to be protected by all of these options. The shade and cool breeze, combined with the quickly melting frozen treat, actually made Lena shudder a bit, realizing that she might be too cold, and would have to step into the sun to warm up.

Kara kept her company, enjoying the coolness as well, since she tended to overheat quite frequently. They watched the trio, perched on their boards, rocking back and forth among the swells of the ocean. 

"I swear they spend more time sitting out there than actually surfing," Kara scoffs.

"I sense a tinge of jealousy, Kara," her friend taunts.

"No!" she quickly says defensively. "Well...maybe."

"Why don't you try it? Alex seems like a great surfer."

"Yea, she tried teaching me a few times. I uh...," she starts, pressing her mouth into a line and shaking her head. "I somehow couldn't keep my balance right. Water kept getting in my ears or something. I think it was messing me up. I got dizzy and I fell off a lot."

Lena laughs as she imagines it all.

"Amazing. A superhero like you, tossed mercilessly in something as simple as H2O."

Kara glares at her best friend. "H2O," she chuckles. "You're such a dork. You and Alex do belong together."

Lena smiled happily with the comment and leaned into the superhero's warmth.

They continued to watch the trio shortly thereafter. It looked like it was Sam's turn. She attempted to hit the wave, but something happened. They weren't sure of what, but it knocked her off the board. They saw the board whip up in the air, yet there was no sight of Sam. They waited a bit, knowing that this tended to happen often, but every time it did, their hearts raced. Their eyes then caught onto Alex and James, who were quickly paddling in Sam's direction. Something was definitely wrong. 

Kara and Lena stood quickly, hoping to get a better look. Winn and J'onn did the same. After a while of watching the crashing waves, it almost appeared as if the three had disappeared somewhere. Where once their friends had swam, nothing was seen. The sight was only met with the rippling of the ocean. Everyone froze. Lena froze. 

Kara quickly ran off, no doubt switching into her superhero persona. In barely a microsecond, the woman of red and blue appeared in the skies, hovering over the ocean to where the riders were last seen. She scanned the area, noting a few loose boards. One of them were Alex's. Panicked, Supergirl twisted and turned her head, hoping to find her friends, and, her sister. Eventually, she spots two forms halfway down the shore, floating on a shared board. She rushed over, and as soon as she got closer, she sees that it's James and Sam. She swoops down and hauls them both up, taking them to shore. 

Seeing where Supergirl had landed, J'onn quickly sped away, leaving Winn and Lena worried. Winn noticed a beach cop in his jeep, passing through. He waved him down and started spewing out panicked words, most of which the policeman luckily picked up on. Waves. Friends. Surfers. Missing. Ocean. The man then radios in for help and tells the two to hop in. Winn points out where their friends had gone to, and they rush over. Lena sat quietly in the backseat. Pale. Stunned. Scared.

By the time they arrive, James is on all fours, coughing up sea water, with Sam crouched down not too far from him; nerves rattled and shaking. J'onn is with them both. Those from the jeep rush over.

"Are you folks alright?" the officer asks.

Unable to respond, J'onn speaks for them. 

"They're fine officer. Perhaps just shaken up. However we still have one more missing. Supergirl is out there now."

Lena drops to her knees, weakened with fear of the worse. She eyes the ocean, but sees no sign of anyone, just the angry waves crashing on the shore. She barely even sees Supergirl. Winn rushes to her side, and rubs his hands up and down her arms trying to soothe her. 

"It'll be okay Lena. Supergirl will find her. If there's anyone dedicated enough to Alex and capable of bringing her home, it's her. It'll be okay."

He tried to sturdy her with his words, though he feared the worse for himself. No one notices when his eyes water and a tear escapes. He swallows hard, holds Lena tight, and in his movements, secretly wipes his face; glad to know that no one saw it. He had to try to be strong for them.

After another ten minutes, help arrives. Medical professionals are on the scene, and so are several officers. James and Sam are covered up in warm blankets, calmer than before, but still shaken, still worried, just like everyone else. No one speaks, they all sit in silence, staring out into the vastness of the ocean, fearing the worse as seconds tick away.

Lena is all but crying now. It's been nearly twenty minutes, and still nothing. J'onn decided to attempt to sneak away, so that he can disappear and re-emerge as the Martian father the group knows him to be. He wanted to help with the search. Halfway past the group, he feels a strong gust of wind. One he knows well. He quickly turned his head towards the shore, where Supergirl lowered herself to the ground, carrying a lifeless body. Everyone starts panicking. J'onn rushes back.

 _Alex_. She found her, but it was a fearful state. Face pale. Lips blue. No sign of breathing. No one knows for how long.

"I...I found her. Miles away. I think the current took her...dragged her under. She didn't have her board to keep afloat..."

Supergirl...Kara, was trembling. The medical crew immediately goes to work, employing the chest compressions and breathing practices of CPR, hoping to regain the life of ocean's latest victim. They take turns resuscitating her. Tick tock. Tick tock.

Lena watches from a distance. Winn remained wrapped around her, hoping to comfort her. She's in shock. Her jaw trembled, her eyes, reddened and sore, as tears continued to stream down. Her eyes go wide for a second, and the next thing she knew, she's panicking, frantically. Winn releases, noticing something different in Lena's movements and breathing, then speaks out in fear.

"No no no no no no no. Lena? Lena? No...don't...you're panicking. Breathe. Lena?" he questions with shortened breaths; frightened.

Winn's pulse races. He's never dealt with a panic attack up front before. She stutters to the group.

"Ggguys...Leennna. Shhhhe's...panicking!"

Supergirl quickly rushes over, grabs Lena's wrists, and talks to her. Talks through her. Talks to her to breathe. Tries to get her to pull through. In. Out. In. Out. One. Two.

Quickly the outing of friends, that was once full of laughter and smiles, was now torn with worry, fear, sadness and on the verge of full on panicking. Two of them were shuddering, recovering from the shock of escaping the jaws of the ocean. Two other women, focused on each other, trying to escape the clawing of panicked emotions. Winn was freaking out. J'onn remains quiet, standing and observing, but was clearly a mess inside, yet unwilling to worry anyone else. Then lastly, there was lifeless body of their strongest friend, laying helplessly as medical professionals try to bring her back to life.

Kara is trying hard to bring Lena back, but she is gripped with too much fear. The brunette is only partially registering her best friend's voice, and is still shaking. Hard. Kara tries to remain cool, but continues to hear the fretting of the medical group next to them, still hoping to bring their friend back to life. She's losing Alex. She's losing Lena. Kara was struggling to keep herself together; to save herself from panicking as well.

Sensing the tension, J'onn calmly walks over, wraps his large, strong arms around both Supergirl and Lena; a force to anchor them down. The subdued emotional support carries over to Kara, who takes a deep breath herself and wrangles in her emotions. She looks to Lena.

"Lena, breathe with me. Please. Hear my voice. Hear only my voice. In. Out. In. Out. Come on Lena, you're stronger than this. You can do this. Breathe with me."

The repetitive motions, the calm and collected, monotone voice finally reaches Lena. She starts to respond. Breaths slowing down. Mind returning. She turns her shaken gaze to the woman before her. Calm, bright blue eyes meeting hers.

"Welcome back," Supergirl smiles, with tears in her eyes.

"We got her! We got her!" they heard suddenly, grabbing everyone's attention.

One of the medical guys starts shouting, and the rest of his team scrambles.

"We got to get her back to the hospital, stat!"

And then, as quickly as they could, they loaded Alex up into a stretcher and lifted her into their vehicle, jetting away to the nearest facility. They left everyone in their wake. The police officers. The family. The friends. Lena barely had a chance to say anything as the vehicle sped off into the distance.  


  


* * *

  


It was amazing to know that all the chaos that happened at the shore, happened only over the span of barely a half hour. That moment, however, dragged on for everyone involved. And still did now.

James took Sam back to the shore house they were all renting. They didn't want to go, but their friends, along with the other medical attendants, suggested that the did so, to fully recoup. Kara and Lena had gone to the hospital, waiting in the emergency room, and holding onto each other in silence until they heard word from the doctors. Winn and J'onn returned back to their original spot on the beach to collect their items, slowly gathering all the belongings they could. It took a while with just the two of them, but eventually, with load after load, the spot was nearly cleaned up. 

Winn walked across to collect any remaining bits of trash. He was saddened at the sight, as the panicked moments shot through him. He looked to where he and Kara were happily making sand sculptures. Joyous times. He looked at the stack of hot dogs and fries that never got eaten; a scattered mess on the ground. He then looked down at something cold that touched his feet. Two cones, dropped in a hurry. The contents of ice cream were melting away at his feet. His chest tightened at the thought. The image of Alex's lifeless body being pounded back to life came into view; the woman he proudly called his big sister. Once more, tears escaped his eyes, but he quickly sniffed and wiped them away. He then took a deep breath and busied himself by picking up the trash; the hot dogs, the fries, the ice cream. He tossed them all away, not looking back. Alex is safe. She's alive. Everything will be okay.  


  


* * *

  


An hour later, the resident physician speaks to Kara and Lena, explaining how relieved he was to know that Alex's vitals have stabilized. She was currently still asleep. The doctor then continues to say how they would need to keep her overnight, and when she wakes, they would need to perform a series of tests to check if there had been any brain damage sustained during the incident. Both Kara and Lena both frown, worried that if any of that happened, how it would affect Alex for the rest of her life.

They transfer Alex over into the ICU, where they've graciously allowed both women to keep the patient company. J'onn and Winn eventually arrive moments before visiting hours are over. They see both women hunched over opposite sides of the bed, with each holding onto one of Alex's hands. They got their attention as they quietly shut the door behind them. Kara's the one to stand, going over to hug both Winn and J'onn; debriefing them on what the doctor had told her. Lena quietly remained by Alex's side, refusing to leave. 

Winn drops two bags. One is Lena's, the other is Kara's.

"I'm assuming you two will stay with her tonight," J'onn states. "You both should get cleaned up. Wash off all the sand, and with it, all the troubles of the day."

Kara nods, happy to do so. She grabs her bag, puts her hand on Lena's shoulder and squeezes it. The brunette clasps onto it. Their hands hold tightly onto one another. It was a silent understanding that said, "Be strong. I'm here for you. We're here together. You're not alone."

When Kara disappears into the adjoining bathroom, Winn pulls a chair next to Lena, once more assuming his role to comfort her, rubbing circles on her back.

"We should bring her back to the DEO. The medical facility there and the devices we have, are more sophisticated. We can accelerate her recovery," Lena says with a firm and slightly cold tone. 

"We can't risk moving her right now. Not without the tests to make sure that there isn't any brain damage. Movement in this state...could make things worse."

"But what if it's already getting worse!"

Lena bursts. Her body tenses up with anger and fear and...helplessness. She stands quickly then walks to J'onn.

"I can't see her like this. I can't...I can't not know! I can find out quicker if we just take her back..."

Lena's exhausted. Her emotions had done a number on her body and now her brain wasn't thinking clearly. She knew what J'onn said was the right thing. She knew they couldn't move her. She knew that they **shouldn't** move her. But her heart was aching. Alex was with them, breathing, and her heartbeat, pulsed steadily, but she wasn't really there. Not to Lena anyway, and she desperately wanted her girlfriend to come home.  


  


* * *

  


The next morning, Kara had taken the liberty to pick up some breakfast from the cafeteria. She was getting anxious and couldn't stay in the enclosed space for much longer. 

Lena had fallen a sleep, hunched over Alex's left side, her face buried into the redhead's arm. She awoke to an tickling on her nose. Her hair, she figured, since it kept falling onto her face throughout the night, so she ignored the sensation at first. But then, it kept happening over and over again, that it annoyed her. She finally tossed her head up, slid her hand up over her face and forehead, then into her scalp, knocking into something. She opened her eyes slowly, and saw Alex's hand hovering over where her head was; the redhead was wielding a weak smile on her face.

"Hey, baby," the agent greeted her, voice quiet and hoarse.

Tears filled up Lena's eyes and she threw herself onto Alex, as gently as she could. She kissed her face over and over again, happy to have her here, in this moment. Alive.

"I love you. So so much," Lena said between fits of tears.

"Ditto," Alex responds, smiling brightly with misty eyes.

She cherished the look on Alex's face; a face that looked relieved and forever grateful to have been given the chance to see her love once more. Lena bent down, kissing the woman's chapped lips. It tasted of salt, sand, and something bitter...residue, potentially left by the medical devices that had been on the woman's face and mouth at one point or another. The kiss was still. Fear and worry lingered behind them. Lena then pressed their lips together, harder. It was an action of joy and relief, mixed in with the fear of ever having to let go. Eventually, Alex's lips fluttered very slowly under Lena's. They caressed the non-moving ones of her partner's, engulfing them between her own; a type of hug that spoke volumes. It embraced Lena, acknowledged her presence, thanked her for being there, and told her that she couldn't and wouldn't leave her; that she'd be by her side forever.

Then, as Lena pulled away to stare into the redhead's eyes, Alex caressed the woman's cheek with one hand and stared back lovingly. After a giving her a bashful smile, she slid her hand behind Lena's neck, and pulled her back in one more time, pecking her on the lips.

"Tag. I love you," she whispers on her lips.

Lena smiles then. A comforting sense of normalcy returning back to their lives. She then responds tenderly.

"Love you back."

**Author's Note:**

>   
>  Let me know what you think!
> 
> Find me on [Tumblr](https://dreamsescapeus.tumblr.com/)!


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